Summer is when the joys of eating arrive thick and fast.

In spring, we've savored the arrival of the first tender asparagus spears, the new radishes, the leaf lettuces. As June, July and August roll by, the mile markers read off the ripening abundance - new peas, green beans, ripening tomatoes, cucumbers, corn on the cob, new potatoes - as the days become golden heading into autumn.

"Simply in Season"(2005, Herald Press, $13.99) celebrates the idea of eating seasonally, savoring the bounty of foods at their natural ripening, the time of their peak deliciousness.

The book is the third in the World Community Cookbook series, its two previous volumes being "More-with-Less" and "Extending the Table," all of which aim to raise awareness of global food issues.

This third volume "reflects a commitment to eat what is fresh and best in season,"according to Graham Kerr ("The Galloping Gourmet"), in the book's foreword.

It also stresses the importance of choosing locally grown foods whenever possible and provides information about so-called "fairly traded" food, grown by small farmers around the world.

The authors are Mary Beth Lind, of West Virginia, a registered dietitian, nutritionist and, with her husband, a market gardener, and Cathleen Hockman-Wert, of Oregon, an editor for Mennonite Women USA. The book contains 1,600 recipes from 450 contributors across Canada and the United States.

Coming into August in this area, we start savoring golden piles of corn on the cob and new potatoes cooked in their skins.

While most people won't tire of eating corn off the cob in the classic "typewriter" style, one can experiment a bit with dressings and preparations.

For those who want the flavor but not the cob, Bev Kennel, of Powhatan, Va., offers this variation that uses other fresh veggies:

Fresh Corn Saute

3 tablespoons butter

1 cup green pepper, chopped

½ cup onion, chopped

Melt butter in frying pan. Saute green pepper and onion for 2 minutes.

4 cups corn

¼ cup water

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon salt

Pepper to taste

2 tablespoons red sweet pepper, diced (optional)

Add and stir well. Cover and cook over medium heat 10 to 12 minutes.

½ cup cheddar cheese, shredded

4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Sprinkle over corn and serve.

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The following dish, Great Green Vegetable Pasta, is adaptable to whatever "green"is flourishing in your garden or the farmers' market during the summer:

1 cup cottage cheese or ricotta cheese

½ cup milk (optional if using cottage cheese)

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped (or 2 teaspoons dried)

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (or 2 teaspoons dried)

½ teaspoon salt

Stir together in a bowl and set aside. Or for a smooth texture, puree in a blender.

12 ounces fusilli, linguini or spaghetti

In large soup pot of boiling water, start cooking according to package directions.

2 cups broccoli florets

2 cups zucchini, sliced

1 cup green beans

1 cup peas

¼ cup green onions, chopped

Stir in broccoli 6 minutes before pasta is done; boil 3 minutes. Stir in zucchini and green beans slowly; boil 2 minutes. Stir in peas and green onions slowly; boil 1 minutes. Remove from heat. Drain well and return to soup pot.

2 tablespoons butter

Toss with pasta and vegetables until melted. Add cottage cheese mixture; toss gently to coat. Serve immediately, sprinkled with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and freshly ground pepper. Garnish with tomato slices.

Spring variation: Use spinach and asparagus for the vegetables.

- Roberta Schwinke, Morrison, Mo., Jocele Meyer, Fresno, Calif., and Kathi Suderman, Beijing

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Curried Beans and Potatoes

3 tablespoons mustard oil or vegetable oil

1 teaspoon mustard seeds (black if available)

4 cloves garlic, finely sliced

Heat oil in medium frying pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add mustard seeds. As soon as mustard seeds begin to pop, add garlic. Stir for a minute until garlic turns golden.

½ teaspoon ground turmeric

1/8 to ¼ teaspoon ground red pepper

¼ teaspoon pepper

1 medium potato, quartered and thinly sliced

Add and stir 1 minute.

4 cups green beans, whole or cut

Add and stir until mixed. Salt to taste. Add small amounts of water to keep from sticking and allow it to steam. Cook until potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally. When done, increase heat to evaporate remaining liquid.

- Ruth Massey, Columbus, Ohio

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Many people boil corn on the stove top as they've seen their mothers do, but others have tried roasting, grilling and microwaving.

Dietitian Mary Lee Chin, writing for www.whybio tech.com, offers these suggestions for corn preparation:

3 Boiling:Remove husks and silk from the corn and place the ears in a large pot. Cover the pot, bring water to a boil and wait 3 to 5 minutes or until kernels are very hot.

3 Grilling:Pull back the husk just enough to remove the silk. Soak corn for 1 to 3 hours to keep it from drying out and prevent the husk from completely charring. Grill for about 10 to 15 minutes, turning often.

3 Baking: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and prepare just as for grilling. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until corn is very tender when pierced and very hot.

3 Microwaving: Husk the corn, discard silk and rinse off before wrapping each ear loosely in a paper towel. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until ears are hot to the touch.

Chin also suggests a couple of dipping oils to drizzle on the corn to add a flavor twist to the traditional slathering of butter:

'Indian Summer' Dipping Oil for Corn

¼ cup canola oil

¼ teaspoon chili flakes

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon cumin

¼ teaspoon ground coriander

'Herbs &Vinegar' Dipping Oil

¼ cup canola oil

1 teaspoon rosemary

1 teaspoon basil

1 teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon chili flakes

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar